Tips to fit it at a new job?

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Starting a new job in a couple weeks and I'm very excited! Seems to be a good fit for my past skills and education.

I'm just wondering if anyone has tips to socially fit in with new office mates during the first few weeks, since first impressions count for so much? I understand they won't expect me to know much, but don't want to be ask so many questions I'm seen a pest within the first couple of days! It's a small call centre environment if that helps!

I'm an NT, and when I was younger I worked for Kelly Services temp agency and changed jobs often. This required having to adapt to new situations all of the time, and having that uncomfortable feeling of being the "new person" on the job, where you feel kind of stupid because you don't know exactly what you're doing for a while. This is my advice:

1) Realize that you may have to ask questions and feel stupid for the first few weeks. This is not your fault -- everybody is in this position multiple times in their working life. Just try to realize that you WILL make mistakes, and that's part of the learning process.

2) Doing your job well helps you to socialize. Go about your day quietly doing your job to the best of your ability.

3) Spend the first couple of weeks observing office culture. Usually the newer people tend to hang out together, so try to hang with those people. When I say "observe office culture," I mean that you should not insert yourself socially very much, but rather WATCH and LEARN. You can then watch when other people make social mistakes, and learn not to do those same things.

4) I think fitting in to a new community has a lot to do with the middle ground. You don't want to be so quiet that you seem unapproachable, but you most definitely don't want to come on too strong and push too much socially. You don't want to be too loud, too opinionated, or too colorful. You basically want to be sort of VANILLA ... the flavor that most people like, but not too "out there."

5) Don't care too much about fitting in. We all want friends and we all want to find a place in our new community, but if we look as if it's the most important thing in our lives, somehow people can sense that desperation, and it works against you. Make a few friends, one or two, and that's enough for a while. Just try to blend in. Observe how other people dress, and quietly do the same. Observe how loudly other people talk, and quietly do the same. Observe other people's way of joking around, and very slowly and quietly do the same. At this stage of the game, you pretty much want to act like a chameleon and just be as much like the others as you can. Then, later, as your comfort level improves, you can be the individual that you are.

Try to talk and be friends with everyone, even if you don`t like them, start random conversations about the weather and whatnot, but keep up on your work at the same time. Be obedient to fit in and strong not to be trampled.

I think a few tricks to make work more pleasant is to find and befriend co-workers who seem mature, genuinely affable and easy-going, avoid workplace politics and drama, be unafraid to speak clearly and loudly enough so you appear confident and have a really good work ethic because that's what will keep your job. Like Schleppenheimer said, you should quietly assimilate while observing them and try your best to act natural.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Focused right now on looking professional whilst prepping to act NT (not talking to loudly, etc). Lucky to have two more weeks to prepare!

I'd recommend trying to eat lunch with some of your coworkers and get to know them. I've found that that's been the best way for me to get integrated into a new job.

-Make sure not to ask repetitive questions. Take notes and make sure you learn your job well
-Don't make suggestions on improvements until you've been there a while. You don't want to come off as a know-it-all.
-Minimize talk about stuff you see on TV or the internet. Try to talk about real-world activities and hobbies you have.

Be polite and don't complain. Don't be afraid to ask questions, that shows that you really care and you want to do your job well. Do your fair share of work, don't be lazy. Just keep a low profile and follow all the rules, and you should be fine. That's what I did when I started a new job. Now almost three years later, I fit in just fine at work, and I get along with everyone.